Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera has announced that Lufthansa is willing to buy Alitalia for €500 million.
The German airline is interested in large parts of the bankrupt airline, like pilots and cabin crew, aircraft and landing slots, but refuses to pick up the whole company.
Lufthansa’s plan would include a job cut of 6,000 jobs and reducing short- and medium-haul routes, which are suffering from low-cost airlines.
Lufthansa is also taking over 81 planes and 3,000 employees of Air Berlin, bankrupt since August 15. That deal recently reached to an agreement.
Forum discussion: http://www.aviation24.be/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=49492&p=357026#p356963
Oh dear! In the meantime,
1) Alitalia commissioners reportedly have not received any bids for a purchase of the company that leaves the company intact. That remains the main goal of the commissioners, and Lufthansa does not fulfil that goal.
2) Alitalia was granted an extended bridge loan of €300 million from the government, adding to the €600 million loan in May 2017. The government also extended the deadline for the repayment of the loan to 30 September 2018 and extended the deadline for prospective buyers to present offers to acquire the carrier to 30 April 2018.
So, clearly, the Commissioners and the Government will probably do what they can to prevent Lufthansa to get only the best parts of Alitalia.